The Water Treatment FAQ

Discussion of Other Common Water Problems
Odors Water That Smells Or Has Odors Slight Musty Odor Rotten Egg Odor Unpleasant Musty Odors	Odor Solutions: Water Filtration Chemical Feed Aeration
Water That Causes Staining Water That Causes Staining Red or Red-brown Stains On Sinks and Fixtures	Types of Iron Found In Water Oxidized Iron Soluble Iron Colloidal Iron Bacterial Iron Organic-bound Iron
Copper In Water Blue or Blue-green Staining	Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) TDS in water
Water and Health/Disease What causes Cryptosporidosis and Giardiasis? Nitrates In Drinking Water.	High Quality Drinking Water Improving Drinking Water Drinking Water Filters

Basics of Water - The Hydrological Cycle -
how nature and man impact water quality

Many things alter the quality of water. All of them happen in the natural
cycle of water as it passes from liquid to vapor and back to liquid.
This is called the hydrological, or water cycle.

Water evaporates from the Earth and rises into the atmosphere where it forms clouds. In nature this is where water is in its purest form. However, it does not stay that way for very long. Its stay in the air is short. Water droplets forming in clouds absorb particles and impurities found floating in the air.

	Water is sometimes known as the universal solvent. It has a tendency to dissolve a little bit of everything it touches. Dust, smoke from industry, carbon dioxide, spores and smog may be absorbed by water droplets.
For example, if it dissolves sulfur from industrial smokestacks, it can form acid rain. This increases its capacity to dissolve other substances. The water vapor in clouds eventually condenses and falls back to earth as rain, sleet, hail or snow.

After reaching the ground water continues to dissolve additional matter it contacts. As water runs over the surface it can become cloudy, even muddy. Then, as water seeps down through the ground, it may dissolve a little bit of the minerals and other substances that could be present.

By the time water returns to rivers, lakes or underground aquifers, it may have accumulated amounts of the elements it has contacted.

Along the way bacteria, chemicals, agricultural byproducts, fertilizers, insecticides and other man-made wastes may also enter the water. Even after reaching a home, it can continue to dissolve materials such as lead from solder in plumbing pipes.

Water is generally classified as Surface Water and Ground Water.

Surface water is water found in rivers, lakes or other surface impoundment. Surface water is typically not high in mineral content. Surface water may pick up and contain numerous contaminants. Animal wastes, pesticides, insecticides, industrial wastes, algae and organic matter may be found in surface waters. Surface water found in mountain lakes and streams could possibly contain bacteria from the feces of wild animals. That's why even this "pure mountain water" should be boiled or disinfected before drinking.

As water seeps down into the ground, it can become trapped beneath the surface. It is then called Ground Water. Rain, rivers, lakes and snow are some of the sources of water that supply underground water. Because of the many sources, ground water can contain many of the same contaminants found in surface water as well as some of the minerals it dissolves during it's passage underground. If water contains dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium, at certain levels these minerals produce what is known as "hard water".

As was mentioned earlier, water is sometimes called the "Universal Solvent", it tends to dissolve a little bit of almost everything it comes in contact with. So, for example, where a mineral like limestone is common in the rock, well water from these areas may be very high in dissolved calcium, and therefore considered "hard".

Of all the water on earth, 97% of it is sea water, only about 3% of it is fresh water; and 2% of that is frozen and locked in the polar ice caps and glaciers. Only 1/2 of 1% of all fresh water is underground; about 1/50th of 1% of all water is found in lakes and streams.

Of all the water treated and processed by public water treatment plants, only one half of one percent is used in the home for drinking and cooking. The rest is used in agriculture and industry. The average human being is made up of about 70% water. And, a normal, healthy person can survive less than a week without water.

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Hard Water

What is hard water?
Hard water is probably the most common water problem found in the home. According to the Water Quality Association of the United States, hard water is water that contains dissolved hardness minerals above 1 GPG (grains per gallon). The most common hardness causing minerals are Calcium and Magnesium that is dissolved in a water supply. Levels of hardness have been established.	Hardness Levels are: Soft Water - less than 1 gpg Slightly hard - 1 to 3.5 gpg Moderately hard - 3.5 to 7 gpg Hard - 7 to 10.5 gpg Very Hard - 10.5 and higher gpg

What are the minerals that cause hardness?

The most common Hard Water problem causing minerals are Calcium and Magnesium.

What does GPG or grains per gallon mean?

Parts per million or grains per gallon are both used to describe the dissolved hardness minerals contained in a water. One part per million (PPM) is one unit of a substance out of one million units of water. Grains, or grains per gallon (GPG), is a unit of weight. It is 1/7000 of a pound. One GPG, (1gpg) is equal to 17.1 PPM.

What problems does Hard Water cause?

Hard water is fine for many uses around a home.

To water a garden, wash down a driveway and general outdoor lawn care, most water, as it comes from a well or from a municipal treatment plant, works fine.

But for indoor use such as bathing, showers, doing dishes and washing clothes, shaving, washing china and flatware, and dozens of other uses, hard water is not as efficient or convenient as "soft water."

For instance:

Use less soap and cleaning products with soft water.
Reduce "soap scum" that's difficult to remove, and 'bathtub ring'
Soap Scum stays on surfaces leaving unsightly spots on dishes, glass ware and flat ware.
Heating hard water in the water heater, forms hardness scale. This scale plugs plumbing and builds up on the inside of water heaters, It can cause increased electric or gas bills, and may lead to early failure of the appliance with costly replacement necessary.
Soap scum is difficult to remove and stays on your skin after bathing or showering. It clogs skin pores and coats hair. This residue may be a breeding ground for bacteria, and could cause diaper rash, rough, red hands, skin irritation and skin discomfort.
Hardness minerals may cause unwanted taste in cooked foods such as vegatables and cause cloudy ice cubes.

Where Can Water Hardness Information Be Obtained?

For municipal water supplies, call the water department or the local City government, they will provide the answer. To obtain additional information about a water supply, have the water tested through a laboratory analysis of the water. Such analysis may be either bacterial, microbiological, or chemical, depending on the purpose. Chemical analyses made by labs show iron in milligrams per liter and hardness minerals in grains per gallon or milligrams per liter.

Use of both grains per gallon and milligrams per liter is a practice followed primarily for convenience in reporting concentrations of minerals, some of which are abundant in water and some of which are found only in trace quantities.

Actually there are four units of measure commonly used in water analysis work: milligrams per liter (mg/l) or parts per million (ppm); grains per U.S. gallon (gpg); equivalents per million (epm); and grains per imperial gallon (gpg imp). To convert from milligrams per liter or parts per million to grains per gallon, divide the former by 17.1. Similarly, multiply grains per gallon by 17.1 to arrive at milligrams per liter or parts per million.

Remember: that 17.1 PPM (parts per million), equals 1 GPG. Look at the following example of how to determine water hardness.

EXAMPLE: The water department says the water supply has 350 PPM of calcium.

Divide 350 by 17.1.
This gives the GPG (grains per gallon) of hardness.
For this example the water is 20.46 grains, or GPG, hard.

If on a private well, contact your county extension agent. Take a sample of the water to be tested and send it to the state health department for testing. There are independent testing labs listed in the yellow pages who will test the water, Independent water conditioning companies can test water for hardness. If water comes from a private well, the home owner should test it for bacteria annually. Check with local authorities for recommended tests and their frequency.

If Water is Hard What Can Be Done?

If water tests over 1 GPG hard, consider softening it with a water conditioner.

There are only two practical ways to treat hard water: Chemical treatment or mechanical treatment. In chemical treatment, various detergents and other substances are used to "cover up" or hide some of the negative effects of hard water. Using mechanical treatment, hardness minerals are physically removed from the water.

The most common mechanical way to soften water is through the use of an ion exchange water softener. This device uses an ion exchange process to replace hardness minerals in the water with some other substance. The vast majority of water softening equipment today uses the exchange of hardness minerals for sodium.

The process consists of flowing the hard water over a bed of plastic Resin beads. On each bead, slight electric charges hold sodium ions on the surface of the bead. However, these beads also have the ability to attract and hold hardness minerals. As hard water flows throught the water softener, it passes around the plastic beads. The hardness minerals (ions) in the water have a greater attraction to the bead than the sodium on the bead. Therefore, they attach themselves to the bead, and in the process they displace the sodium ions. Thus the name ion exchange. Hardness ions are exchanged for sodium ions.

Eventually, the plastic resin bead will be covered with hardness ions. When this occurs, the removal of hardness will come to a stop. The water softener in this condition is known as being exhausted. In order to remove additional hardness from the water, a means must be found to clean the resin beads of accumulated hardness ions. This is accomplished by a process called regeneration. A brine solution is introduced into the resin tank. The extreme concentration of sodium ions in the brine solution scrub the hardness ions from the resin beads. The resin material is then flushed with clean water and the excess brine and accumulated hardness is flushed away, leaving the beads ready to remove additional hardness.

What Causes The Slipery Feeling When Bathing In Soft Water?

The removal of hardness minerals allows soap to work more efficiently. So, soap doesn't form soap curd. This substance is what causes "bathtub ring". It also is difficult to rinse off and remains on the surface of our skin. It plugs pores, clings to hair and generally remains stubbornly attached to every surface it flows over. However, softened water allows soap to work properly. Soap curd, or scum is reduced or eliminated entirely. When you bathe and rinse in soft water, there is no residual soap curd sticking to your body. Finally, you are really clean! That smooth, slick, slippery feeling is your skin lubricated with its own natural body oils - no soap scum.

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Water With Smells Or Odors

What Can You Do If Your Water Smells Unpleasant?

There are generally two places where odors can enter a water supply. Outside the home and inside the home. Before water enters the home it may pick up odors from materials it comes in contact with as it passes through the air, flows over the ground, or seeps down through the ground.

To determine if water has the odor before it enters the home, check it at the closest entry point into the home. If the water has the objectionable odor as it enters the home, the problem has been found. If no odor is present, then the water is picking up the odor inside the house. Turn on a cold water faucet and let it run for several minutes. If the water has an odor, and the outside water didn't, then there is a source inside the home that is causing the odor.

As little as 0.5 parts per million hydrogen sulfide is detectable by taste in drinking water. Occasionally an odor is present in the hot water only. This condition is usually caused by a chemical reaction which takes place within the water heater. When hot water containing sulfate salts comes into contact with the magnesium sacrificial anode, which is a normal part of most water heaters, a reaction occurs, converting some of the sulfate to hydrogen sulfide. Since the magnesium anode rod is removable, in many cases, removal of the rod is a remedy for the problem. Many people remove the rod entirely. Remember though, the anode is used in a water heater to reduce corrosion in the heater tank and its removal may invalidate the warranty.

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Treating Water That Smells

Minor odor or an unpleasant musty smell

With a minor smell a small carbon filter installed just before the faucet may cure the problem. This is called a point-of-use filter. These types of filters can be installed on a water line supplying the cold water to the faucet from which you get water that you drink. Another, more elaborate solution is to install a whole-house system which filters all of the water in the home.

Carbon filters remove odors by a process called Adsorbtion. Odors are removed by attaching themselves to the outside of the carbon particles. If water goes through a carbon filter too rapidly, odors will not be completely removed. Also, over time the carbon looses its effectiveness and must be replaced. Carbon filters also can remove certain organic materials from the water. Bacteria present in the water are attracted to the organics and so the carbon filter can become a place for bacteria to live. Prevention is to follow a routine schedule of replacement to minimize growth of bacteria in the carbon filter

Unpleasant Rotten-egg Odor

Hydrogen sulfide is a flammable, poisonous gas which is produced in water supplies as a result of the decomposition of underground organic deposits. Its presence is easily detected by a characteristic rotten egg odor and obnoxious taste. Hydrogen sulfide is also very corrosive (both in water and in the air). It rapidly tarnished silver causing it to turn black. A high sulfide content is toxic to aquarium fish. As this water is brought to the surface for use, the unpleasnat smelling hydrogen sulfide gas may be released.

Strong, Musty Smell

With this problem, experts in treating problem water should be contacted. A company that has experience dealing with water exhibiting this problem will be able to recommend treatment suggestions.

Problem water of this type can generally be treated by three different techniques.

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Special Filtration Methods

Whole house filters that contain material specifically to remove hydrogen sulfide are often used. These filters are recharged using chlorine or a chemical called potassium permanganate. Due to the nature of the task, capacities of these filters are usually low. Sizing is important. The filter must have sufficient material to prevent premature exhaustion.

Chemical Feeder Systems

Chemical Feeder systems use a pump to inject measured doses of a substance such as chlorine into the water. The water is directed into a custom designed tank and remains there for a measured time. This allows hydrogen sulfide gas to precipitate out of the water. The tank must be designed so the water entering it mixes thoroughly. The water next passes through a filter, removing the precipitated matter and any remaining chlorine from the water. This type of system requires a high investment in maintenance, as well as cost of installation and operation.

Aeration Processes

The Aeration process reduces incoming water to a spray in the air. Fresh air is directed through the spray. The water is collected in a storage tank and repressurized. It's filtered by a particulate filter to remove particles that may be carried from the storage tank.

After being drawn through the water spray, the air needs to be directed outside to the atmosphere because it could be toxic and potentially explosive if left inside. No chemicals are added to the water with this system. It also requires little maintenance compared to the first two methods and no chemicals must be purchased. These systems may be costly, however, and might require more space for installation.

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Water That Causes Stains

Reddish Stains On Sinks, Toilets and Fixtures!

Reddish or red-brown stains are usually associated with iron in the water. The water should be tested to measure the amount and type of iron.

Iron types found in water are:
OXIDIZED	SOLUBLE
COLLOIDAL	BACTERIA OR ORGANIC-BOUND
Each of these types presents a potential problem! As little as 0.3 ppm in a water supply can cause staining of clothes and fixtures.

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Oxidized

Oxidized iron is insoluble in non-acid water. When water containing soluble iron is exposed to air, the soluble iron reacts with the air to form oxidized iron which precipitates if there is sufficient alkalinity present. Usually about 100 ppm (parts per million), of excess alkalinity is necessary for momplete precipitation. If surface waters contain iron, the iron is usually ixidized. Well water supplies frequently contain a mixture of oxidized iron and soluble iron because some of the soluble iron becomes oxidized in the pressure tank.

Water containing oxidized iron is filled with reddish rust particles visible in the water when first drawn from the tap. This is commonly referred to as red water iron. Red water iron causes the same problems which are caused by clear water iron. Reddish-brown stains on clothes, procelain, and cooking utensils. When iron water is mixed with tea, coffee or alcholic beverages, the mixture turns black. Red water iron causes less of a metallic taste than clear water iron, but the taste is still objectionable. Filtration is the easiest method to use for removal of oxidized iron. Feeding a chemical into the water that caused coagulation of the suspended particles is another common method for treating oxizided iron problems. After the iron has clumped together and fallen to the bottom of a holding tank, they are flushed away.

Soluable

Soluble iron is often called "clear water" iron. Clear water iron is easily recognized because the water is clear when first drawn from the tap. However, after coming in contact with the air, the iron oxidizes, or "rusts", forming red or reddish-brown particles in the water. It is commonly found in well water supplies throughout the United States.

The main objection to iron water is that it causes reddish-brown stains on plumbing fixtures, porcelain, cooking utensils, nad laundry. Iron causes a disagreeable metallic taste and can have a sewer type odor. Iron causes coffee, tea, liquor, and other beverages to turn inky black. As little as 0.3 ppm (parts per million), is enough iron to cause staining.

Soluable iron problems can often be treated with a water conditioner, or a system containing a softener and filter. An iron filter that recharges with chlorine or potassium permanganate can also be used. Feeding chemicals to oxidize the iron followed by filtration with a mechanical filter is another means of treatment.

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Colloidal

Very small particles of oxidized iron suspended in the water is called Colloidal iron. In this case the particles are extremely small, (less than 0.1 micron). Typically, they are combinations of iron and other substances, bound tightly together. Like colloids they do not settle out and can't be removed by ordinary filtration. Frequently, colloidal iron is mistaken in appearance for color rather than turbidity. Colloidal iron looks more like a colored water because the particles are so small that they cannot be seen.

When water comes in contact with iron-bearing rock in the presence of decaying vegetation, conditions for forming this kind of iron exist. Colloidal iron may be present in shallow wells or surface water supplies. It is seldom found in deep well supplies.

Like other forms of iron, colloidal iron causes reddish-brown stains on laundry, plumbing fixtures, and cooking utensils. When iron water is used in tea, coffee or whisky, the beverage turns unappetizingly black. Iron water has an unpleasant metallic taste.

Whenever iron is oxidized from the soluble state to the precipitated state, the particles first formed are molecular in size. These particles agglomerate to form larger clumps, which may become large enough to settle, or they may stop growing when they reach colloidal size. In the presence of decaying vegetation, the tiny particles may combine with the organic matter. When this happens, the organic matter causes the particles to have a static electrical charge and they repel each other. Since the particles repel each other, they cannot floc together to form larger particles. In the absence of organic matter, the particles will floc together and grow in size. Soon the particle floc becomes large enough to settle out of suspension. At this point the oxidized iron is no longer colloidal and can be removed by ordinary filtration.

There are two types of treatment typically aimed at Colloidal iron problems. The first is to feed chlorine into the water. Chlorine will oxidize the substance to which the iron is bound and so allow the iron to be removed. The second method call for the feeding of polymers that are attracted by the static charge on the particles. When this occurs, larger, filterable clumps are formed. These larger bodies can then be removed by mechanical filtration.

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Bacterial

Iron bacteria are living organisms that feed on iron in the water and on iron in wells, piping, tanks, and iron fuxtures. They build slime in toilet water closets and clog pipes, pumps, water heaters and appliances. Bad tastes and odors in the water supply are often common with the presence of iron bacteria. Often, some of this slime material breaks free in slugs at high flow rates, causing extremely discolored water. Larger clumps can cause plugging of fixtures. Bacterial iron can be identified by a reddish slime-like material in the toilet flush tank.

Until the last few years, iron bacteria were not too common a problem but their presence has increased very rapidly throughout the country and is now quite prevalent. You may expect that an iron water may at some future time be invaded by iron bacteria.

Iron bacteria must be killed by chlorination; filtration alone doesn't eliminate them. Bacterial iron is difficult to treat. The bacteria must be killed. The usual method is through chlorination. High levels of chlorine are introduced into the plumbing and allowed to flow throughout the home to kill all all the bacteria. Superchlorination of the plumbing, toilets, pressure tank, and water heater may relieve the problem. Depending on the severity of the problem, ofter chlorine must be fed continuously to prevent future growth.

Organic bound

Iron has the ability to combine with tannins and other organic materials in the water. The materials that result are almost imposible to remove through ion exchange methods or oxidizing filters. If tannins are present, they are probably combined with the iron. Some levelss of organic iron can be removed by a carbon filter. However, the carbon material must be replaced after it becomes saturated. Higher concentrations require chlorine feed. This will oxidize the organics to free the iron. Then, they can be precipitated into a particle that can be removed by filtration.

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Blue or Blue-green Stains on Fixtures.

Copper

If there are blue or blue-green stains on sinks, baths and porcelain, there is probably copper in the water supply. Copper is a metal which is seldom naturally present in a water supply. Copper is found in water supplies around strip mines, but usually when copper is present it has been introduced by the corrosion of copper plumbing. Water containing copper cause blue or green stains on fixtures. Copper is toxic to aquarium fish and can impart an undesirable taste to the drinking water.
Copper is a problem in the processing for color photography because it changes the color value in prints and transpaarencies. Beauty shop operators have a problem when copper is present because it causes color variation in hair toners, especially for blonde. Copper also causes green soap curd to form. It is corrosive to aluminum. Test for copper by looking for the blue or green sains on porcelain fixtures. This is a sure sign of copper in the water. The amount of copper can be found by sending a water sample to a lab for testing. Copper is not usually considered harmful to humans but concentrations in a range of 1 - 5 parts per million cause an objectionable taste.

A water softener removes copper. The capacity of a water softener for copper removal is about the same as for iron removal. The best way to treat a copper problem is to eliminate the corrosion problem. Make sure that dielectric unions are used for all plumbing connections between copper and galvanized pipe. Also raise the pH of the water to at least 8.3. If the water already has a high pH, feed polyphosphate and/or silicate chemicals into the water to protect the plumbing from the effects of corrosion.

Improving Drinking Water

In recent years, drinking water quality has become an issue for many homeowners. The use of home drinking water improvement equipment and bottled water has soared, and the trend appears to be gaining momentum. So for many, better working water combined with drinking water of a particular quality may be the goal.

Finding the solution to your problem or discovering the ideal water quality "fit" for your personal needs can be simple if you have the proper information. Water quality may differ from city to city, well to well, home to home. Your water quality problems may not be the same as those of your neighbor next door or your relative across town. The key is to match your water quality problem, or goal with the most efficient and effective point-of -use/point-of-entry solution.

Each of the problems listed below can be partly or substantially reduced through treatment with one or several POU/POE technologies. Check the following table which matches some problems with solutions; other less common problems can also be solved but are not included here. Be sure to consult your local water quality improvement dealer for guidance in making your equipment decision.

COMMON WATER SUPPLY CONCERNS
CORROSION Green stains (acid), Reddish brown stains, (dissolving gasses)
METALLIC TASTE (Presence of Iron, Manganese, copper oxide or sulfide)
SALTY TASTE
CLOUDY OR DIRTY LOOKING WATER (Turbidity)
SOAP RESIDUE Bathtub ring, White film on sinks, Dingy dull gray fabric, Red irritated skin
SCALE BUILD-UP Plumbing, Water Heaters
ODOR Rotten Egg smell, Other odors
COLOR Reddish-brown, Black sediment
Possible Solutions	Ion Exchange (Cation) Water Softeners	Activated Carbon Filters	Reverse Osmosis	Distillation	Oxidation and Filtration	Chlorination	Special Filters To Meet Specific Needs (See your local dealer for help)

Reverse Osmosis (RO) Drinking Water Filtration